Mortar-plaster mixer



April 23, 1963 J. F. KACENA MoRTAR-PLASTER MIXER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 im m w I 4/ l .ww .Q W l @im @W 2 i r al l will@ 1I mw 2 I Mw Qn v .www u N l l 1 Jll-l .In un un ss O n m l 1| awww il; -----Lw.,----- r lllllLnuHlulwml. `m M. F m L ISN, l .w .w INN lll KN April 23, 1963 J. F. KAcENA 3,086,755

MoRTAR-PLAsTER MIXER Filed Aug. 22, 1960 3 sheets-sheet 2 April 23, 1963 J. F. KAcENA 3,085,755

MORTAR-PLASTER MIXER Filed Aug. 2, 1960 s sheets-sheet s 3,@55355 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 thee 3,086,755 MORTAR-PLASTER MHXER Joseph F. Kacena, Whitehall, Mich. Anchor Manufacturing Co., 2922 W. 26th St., Chicago 23, Ill.) Filed Aug. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 51,133 11 Claims. (Ci. 259-175) This invention relates to an apparatus for mixing materials, and more particularly to an apparatus for mixing plaster or mortar for use by contractors in the building industry.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved multi-drum plaster or mortar mixing apparatus that may be simply and easily loaded and unloaded.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multidrum mixing apparatus having one of the drums in a lower position to facilitate the loading of ingredients and having another drum in an upper position to facilitate discharging the mixed material and having powered means for moving the drums from one position to the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide such an apparatus with means for keeping openings that are provided in the peripheries of the several drums a-t the top of the drums and in a substantially horizontal plane while the drums are being elevated from a lower position to an upper position and vice versa.

A still further object of this invention is to provide such an apparatus with means for selectively rotating each drum about its central axis and thereby move the drum opening from a substantially horizontal plane to a substantially vertical plane in order to discharge Imaterial from the drum.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of the mixing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the mixing apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an elevational View of the mixing apparatus taken substantially along the line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a bearing mounting taken substantially along the line 4 4 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a belt clutch for the mixing apparatus;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view partly in section of a clutch mechanism used to rotate the mixing drums about their central axes;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the clutch mechanism taken substantially along line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the mixing apparatus taken substantially along line S--S of FIG. l;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of the mixing apparatus, taken substantially along line 9--9 of FIG, l and showing a toggle clutch in a disengaged position; and

FIG. l() is similar to FIG. 9 but Shows the clutch mechanism in an engaged position.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with ,the understanding that the present disclosure is to `be considered as an exemplication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings, a preferred form of the apparatus comprises generally, a pair of mixing drums 25 carried at the opposite ends of arms 14 and 15 which are mounted to turn with a horizontal shaft 13 in a frame 4 so that the drums may be positioned one below the other as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, a supporting means is provided in the form of a frame 4 comprising a horizontal base member 5, supported on wheels 6, and a pair of laterally spaced support members 7 and 8 extending upwardly from the base. A bull gear 9, shown in FIG. 4, having an extended central hub portion 10 and a central bore 11, is mounted on the top of the support member 7 by means of a clamp 12 bolted to the support member (see FIG. 4). A horizontal elongated shaft 13 Ihas one end rotatably mounted in the bore 11 and carries a diametrically extending arm 14 atiixed to the shaft adjacent its mounting in the 4bore 11. `A second diametrically extending Iarm 15, `similar to and parallel -to arm 14, is aiixed to the other end of the shaft 13.

To provide support for the other end of the shaft 13, an elongated plate 16 having a central hub 17 with a bore therein is rotatably mounted to the outer housing of a bearing 18 that is afxed to the top portion of support member S and is in axial alignment with the gear 9. The plate 16 is spaced from and secured, adjacent its ends, to `the outer surface of the arm 15. A pair of spacers 19 are provided to maintain the spaced relationship and mounting pins 2@ secure the plate 16 and the arm 15 together.

The diametrically extending parallel arms 14 and 15 have horizontal positioned bearings 21 mounted adjacent their ends rotatably supporting a pair of horizontally extending shafts 22 and 23.

The mixing means are shown as comprising a pair of cylindrical mixing drums 25 carried on the shafts 22 and 23, each having end sections 26 and 2'7 and an opening 23 in a portion of its periphery, that is normally at the top and in a generally horizontal plane. Outwardly extending hub portions 29 are centrally affixed to the ends 26 and 27 of each of the drums and are mounted to the outer housing of the bearings 21 to provide an independent rotatable connection between the drums and the parallel arms 14 and 15. A pair of mixing blades 3) are attached to the shafts 22 and 23 within the cavity of the drums for mixing the ingredients that comprise the mortar or plaster. The ends of the shafts 22 and 23 extending beyond the arlm 15 are each provided with gears 31 and the other end of the shaft 23 extending beyond the arm 14 is provided with a pinion gear 32.

To drive the mixing blades and otherwise operate the apparatus, a rnotor 35 mounted ton the frame 5 is connected through a belt 36 to a pulley 37 which is mounted on the input shaft of -a single reduction gear unit 38. 'Ihe `output shaft 3-9 of the gear unit is rotatably mounted in the bearing 18 and extends beyond the bearing 18 having its end provided with a pinion gear 49 |located in the same plane as the gear 31. The other end of the output shaft 39 is rotatably supported on the yopposite side of the gear unit 38 by a bracket bearin-g 41 mounted on an upwardly extending support member 42 of frame 4. A pair of idler gears 43 are rotatably mounted between the elongated plate 16 and the arm 15 on spacers 19, in the same plane and intermediate the gears 31. and the pinion .gear 40, meshing with said gears and forming a driving connection therebetween, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a clutch mechanism, for engaging the drive motor with the mixing apparatus which comprises a toggle linkage for tightening the drive belt 36, having a handle 44 pivotally mounted at one end to the frame 5 at a point 45. A pair of links 45 and 47 fonm a toggle connection between pivot point 45 and the reduction gear unit 38. As the handle 44 is moved in a counterclockwise direction, the toggle action of the links 45 and 46 raises the input shaft of the gear reduction unit 38 by swinging it about the output shaft 39, thereby tightening the belt 36 and forming ya driving connection between the motor and the input shaft of the gear unit. As the handle `toggleto operate the clutch. Aportion of the bracket- 79 is 44 ,is moved clockwise, the input shaft is lowered loosening belt 36.

FIGS. l and 6 show the means for manually revolving the drums independently about their central axes, which comprises a gear, t) aixed to each of the central hubs 29 between the drum ends 27 and the arm 14. A pair of bearings 51 rotatably supporting jack`shaftsv5r2 are mounted, onthe arm 14 midway betweenshaft 13 and bearingszZl and -a pair ofpinion gears 53are aixed to the ends yof the jack'shafts 152 between the drum ends 27 and the arm 1 4 in line andinmesh with the'gears 50. A pair of cupgears 54 and 55v are rotatably mountedV adjacent the other end of the jackV shafts 52, each meshingl with the Ybull gear 9. r[he -shafts 52 have end por-tions 56 extending beyond the journal surface of the gears 54 and Y 55 which have a smaller diameterrthan shaft V52.

A clutch arrangement for selectively rotating the drums about their central axes is associated with 'each of the cup gear-s 54 and 55 and isv shown in FIGS. 6` and 7. Since the operation and construction of each clutch arrangement is similar, ionly one will be described. The cup gear 55 has an internal cavity 60 anda plurality of slots l61 formedaround the'peripheral surface of the cavity. A pin 62 is slidab'ly inserted through -a hole in the shaft portion 56, withinthe cavity 60, and at-rightangles to the shaft axis. A cylindrical block 63 is affixed toV one end of pin 62 andthe `other end carries a spring 64 separated from the Vblock 63I by ithe shaft portion 56 and eoniined by -a dog V65 secured to the other `end of: the pin.' Extending outwardly from block ,63 `and at right angles to the pin v62 its a pin 66 parallel to and spaced directly under the end -shaft portion 56. A guide block 67 mounted on shaft 52 is provided with cylindrical slots 68 and 69 for receiving and guiding the block 63 and the dog 64 respectively. The spring 64 urges the dog 65 radially outward as shown in FIG. 7 to engage the dog in one of the 'slots-61 thereby forming the driving connection between gear 55 and shaft 52.

For operating the clutch arrangement, a hand crank 70 is provided having a handle 71 and a cylindrical boss 72 at one endr thereof with an eccentrically located hole 73 therein,'the hole is located so that the outer peripheral surface of 'the boss 72 will be in contact with the pin 66 when the end of the shaft por-tion'56 is engagedfin the hole 73. As the crank arm 70 is turned in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction, the outer peripher-al surface of the boss 7 2 exerts a downward force onthe pin j66 due to the eccentric hole location and moves the dog .65 out Vof engagement'with theslot '6,1 and compresses Ithespringft to its solid height thereby disengaging gear 515 .from shaft52; Continued rotation of the crank arm will rotate shaft 5 2 independently of gear 55 turning pinion gear 53. Y g Y f `Clutch means are utilized to revolve both drums about 'their'common axis (shaft 13), and comprise a gear'74 vintegral with the gear 55 so that 'it is located in the same plane as, but not'in 'contact with, the gear 32 which is mounted on `*shaft 23, as shown in FIGS. l and 6. A clutch arr-angementshown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 includes a clutch idler gear 75 `loc/ated below and in constant mesh Vwith `the gear 74. A toggleflinkage consisting of links 76, 77 and 7,8 is provided tolmove the gear 75 into enlgagen'lent.' with the pinion gear 32 when it isdesired to revolve the drums .about the shaft 13. One end of llink 76 is pivoted at'76a on a bracket 79 Vthat is`mou`nt'ed to arm1 4, and the other end of the link 7 6 rotatably supports gear', 75. Link 77.v f orms one part of the toggle and link ,78; which .is vpivotally mounted at its center at l7811 -to bracket `79l and has an upper portion 80', forms theother A'l'ower portionS'l of link`78`qacts` as a Vhandle formed, to provide a lock 82 that Will'engageY the teeth of gear 7,5ftol prevent rotation when the gear 75 is out of contact with the gear 32 (see FIGURE 9').

` 'Ille operation of the mixing apparatus will now be i described. The motor 35 may be started by a control 35a and the toggle clutch arm 44 moved in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 5 Iraising the gear reduction unit 38 and tightening the belt 36, transmitting power from the motor shaft to the gear reduction unit and rotating the pinion gear 4t). Power is transferred from the pinion gear y40 through the idler gears 43 `to gears 31 rotating the shafts 22 and 23 and the mixing blades Btl/ Y The mixing drums 25 are normally located as shown in FIG. 2 with one tof the drums in a lowposition ready to receive material and the other drum in a khigh position ready to discharge material, lwith the openings 28 of both drums being at the Vtop and Vin a horizontal plane. vThe ingredients comprising the plaster or mortar mixture are added to the lower drum andare mixed by the rotating mixing blades 30. The operatorV then moves clutch handle 8=1 lin a counterclockwise directionl (FIGS. 8, 9l and l0) enga-ging 'the clutch idler gear 75 with the rotating pinion gear 32, and power is transmitted from the gear 32' through the gear 75 to the gear 74Y andy-the gear 55. Since the gears 54 yand 55 are always in mesh with the stationary bull gear 9, they will Vrevolve about .the periphery of the gear 9 causing the arms 14and 15 to revolve about the axis of shaft 13 and thereby swing the lower drum that has just been charged.k with ingredients to the high position andHbrin-g the drum that Was in the high position down to a low position ready to receive ingredients. T he clutch arm 81 is then moved in a clockwise direction (FIG. 8) .to disengage the gear 75 from the rotating gear 32, stopping the swinging of the drums and engaging the lock 82. Disengaging the gear 75 may be done either manually or automatically by incorporating a stop arm to contact clutch arm 81. The gears 54 and 55 are normally connected to the shafts 52 by the clutch arrangement shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and as these gears rotate about 'the bull gear 9, the gears 53- located on the other end of the jackshafts 52 will also rotate turning the gears 50 and revolving the drums about their central axes. The diarnetric ratio ofV gears 54and 55 to the gear 9 is equal to the ratio of the gears `53 to the gears 50 so that ,as

-the mixing drums 25 are swung about the axis of the shaft 13, they are rotated on their central taxes to keep the horizontal plane.

It should lbe noted that maximum power is required to turn lthe mixing blades when the mortar or plaster ingredients are in a relatively dry form as initially discharged from their storage bags. When the necessary liquid has been addedto the mixture, the amount of power required to turn the blades is :less than when the materials are relatively dry and more power is then available to swing the drums. By swinging the apparatus when there is no dry mixture in either drum, `a small capacity prime mover will have suflicient power to mix the material as the drum is raised. Y

An Vempty drum is now in the low position and may be filled with ingredients for mixing a `second batch of mortar or plaster and the material in fthe high positioned drum is now ready to be discharged int-o a wheelbarrow or other suitable container (not shown). The crank arm 70 is engaged with the shaft portion S6 and rotated in a clockwise direction (FIG. 8), disengaging shaft 52 from gear 55 and independently rotating the gear 53 which turns gear 50. The upper drum is lthereby rotated about its central axis'bringing the open portion 282 into a position where it is in a substantially vertical plane and .facing outward from the center of the mixing apparatus, ready to discharge material into a wheelbarrow.

As the mixing drums .are swung about the axis of the shaft 13, the idler gears 43 will revolve about the outer periphery of the rotating pinion gear 40 and power will be supplied through the idler gears 43 and the gears 3l, to the mixing blades 30. The mixing blades turn in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 48) so as `to move the material toward the vertically positioned drum opening 28 and automatically empty the entire drum of material.

The upper drum is Kthen rotated about its centr-a1 axis so that its opening is again in a top or horizontal position and the clutch lever S1 operated to swing the drums about the axis of shaft 13 and bring the empty drum back to the lower position for charging and the operation is repeated.

It can be seen 'that by using applicants invention in the -aforedescribed manner that a constant supply of plaster .or mortar material can be made available without a time delay for mixing, and diiferent colors or consistencies of mixtures can be had from a single mixing unit.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for mixing plaster or mortar having, in combination, -a frame with a base member and a pair of laterally spaced support members extending upwardly from said base member and provided with bearings at the tops thereof, a horizontal pivot shaft supported by said bearings and carrying a pair of parallel arms extending diametrically of said shaft adjacent its ends, each of said arms having horizontally positioned bearings remote from the axis of support thereof, a pair of horizontal shafts rotatably supported in said horizontally positioned bearings, a pair of cylindrical mixing drums rotatably carried on said horizontally positioned bearings, between said arms and having openings in a portion of their peripheries for charging and discharging the drum, mixing blades mounted on said shafts within said drums, driving means for continually rotating the mixing blades during the `operation of the apparatus, powered means for swinging said arms from a position wherein one of the drums is a-t a level below the other to a position wherein the drum is at a level above the other, means for keeping said openings at lthe top of said drums while the drums are being swung from a high to a low position, and means for independently rotating said drums about their central axes selectively to shift the drum openings from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position and vice versa.

2. A mixing apparatus having, in combination, a frame provided with a pair of laterally spaced bearings; -a horizontal pivot shaft supported by said bearings, a pair of parallel arms extending diametrically of said pivot shaft adjacent each end thereof, a pair of cylindrical mixing drums each having an opening in a portion of their peripheries for charging material into the drums and discharging material from the drums, means for mounting said drums between said arms remote from the axis of support -thereof so that the drums may be swung about said pivot shaft from a position wherein one of the drums is at a level below the other to a position wherein the drum is at a level above the other, powered means for swinging said drums about said pivot shaft, mixing means within said drums, and means for independently rotating said drums about their central axes.

3. A mixing apparatus having, in combination, a frame, a horizontal pivot shaft supported on said frame, a pair of parallel arms extending diametrically of said shaft at each end thereof, a pair of cylindrical mixing drums each having an opening in a portion of their periphery, means for mounting said drum between said arms remote from said pivot shaft so that the drums may be swung about the pivot shaft to a position wherein one of the drums is below the other to a position wherein the drum is above the other, powered means for swinging said drum about said pivot shaft, means for rotating the drums to keep the drum openings at the top of said drum and in a generally horizontal plane while the drums are being swung in an arc about the pivot shaft, mixing means within said drum and means for independently rotating said drums about their central axes.

4. A mixing apparatus having in combination a frame with rotatable support member thereon, a plurality of mixing drums each having an opening in a part in their periphery, means for mounting said drums to said support member at a point remote from the axis of rotation of said support, means for swinging said drum about said axis of rotation so that one of the drums is below the other -to a position whereby the drum is above the other, means for rotating the drums to keep the openings of said drums in a substantially horizontal plane as said drums are swung about said axis of rotation, and additional means for independently rotating each drum about its central axis for discharge of mixed material.

5. The combination of claim 2 wherein the means for swinging said drums about said pivot shaft comprises, a stationary bull gear mounted to said frame, a pair of gears mounted to revolve about the periphery of said bull gear and spaced diametrically opposite one another, said gears being connected to one of said arms remote from said pivot shaft in such a manner that said arms will revolve with said gears, and means to selectively rotate one of said gears, including an idler gear shiftable between a locked position in which it prevents rotation of said gears and a drive position in which it engages a driven member to revolve said gears about the periphery of said bull gear.

6. A mixing apparatus having, in combination, a frame, a cylindrical mixing drum with an opening in the periphery thereof for charging and discharging the drum, means for mounting said drum on said frame permitting the drum to be swung about an axis adjacent the periphery of the drum and parallel to the axis of the drum to move the drum from a lower charge position with the opening at one side of the vertical plane including the axis to an upper discharge position with the opening at the other side of said plane.

7. A mixing apparatus having, in combination, a frame including a pair of laterally spaced support members carrying trunnion means, a cylindrical mixing drum having an opening in its periphery for loading and discharging the drum, a mixing means, including a mixing blade mounted in said drum and rotatable therein, means for swingably mounting said drum on said trunnion means about an axis substantially outward from and parallel to the axis of the drum permitting the drum to be swung from a lower charge position on one side of the vertical plane including said first-named axis whereby material is easily loaded therein to an upper discharge position at the other side of said vertical plane whereby material is easily discharged therefrom, means for swinging the drum between the lower charge position and the upper discharge position, and means for continually driving the mixing device in all positions of the drum.

8. A mixing apparatus comprising: at least one generally cylindrical mixing drum; swinging means for swinging said drum about a pivot axis parallel to but spaced from the axis of said drum; mixing means within said drum; drive means for driving said mixing means; means for selectively engaging said swinging means with said drive means to swing said drum; and means locking said swinging means against movement whenever said swinging means is disengaged from said drive means.

9. A mixing apparatus comprising: at least one generally cylindrical mix-ing drum; swinging means for swinging said drum about a pivot axis parallel to but spaced from the axis of said drum; mixing means within said drum; drive means for driving said mixing means; clutch means for selectively engaging said swinging means with said drive means to swing said drum, said clutch means including a gear permanently engaged with said swinging means and movable between a first position in engagement with said drive means and a second position in engagement with a stationary element of said apparatus.

10. An apparatus having, in combination, a frame, at least one mixing drum having an opening in a portion of the periphery thereof, means for mounting said drum on said frame comprising, a horizontal shaft means on the frame and a pair of radial arms extending from s-aid shaft means to said drum, means for swinging `said drum about the axis of said shaft means ,between a lower charge prosition on one side of said frame `and an upper discharge position on the opposite side of said frame, means for keeping the opening in the drum uppermost as the drum is.moved.=from its lower to its upper position, and means to rotate said drum about its axis to -discharge material from the drum.

.11. A mixing apparatus `comprising a frame adapted to be stationarily supported on la generally level sur-face; 10

-apair of arms pivotallymounted Aonsaid frame; `a mixing drumrevolvably supported on said arms at points spaced lfrom the pivot axis ofrsaid arms, `saidmixing drum having anop'ening thereingsaid arms being pivotable between a loading position in .which said Yis l,ooated on gone side of said frame at a height above saidsurface con,- venient for loading material to Vbe lmixedinto said-drum, and aadischarging, position in whichjsaiddrum is looated on the other sideof said frame at a considerably ygreater height above said surface; means 'forpivoting said arms between said positionsgmeans Vfor maintaining said open.-

ing substantially at the top of said drum during the pivotal movement of said arms; and means for revolving said drum in said discharge position to bring said opening to the .underside ofsaiddrumjor discharging material therefrom.

References Cited inthe lile of thispatent UNITED STATES lPATENTS 894,749 Von Siller July 28, 1908 1,630,789 Essick May 31, 1927 l 2,107,540 Lichtenberg Q Feb. 8, 1938 2,155,454 Temple Apr'. 25, v1939 2,520,033 Fuelling Aug. 22, 1950 2,547,500 Selby Apr. 3, 1951 2,547,787 ,Siebring et al Apr. 3, 1951 l2,864,614 j Castille Dec. 16, 1958 2,940,739 Shiideldecker June 14, 1960 4 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Nov. 4, 19.52 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR MIXING PLASTER OR MORTAR HAVING, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME WITH A BASE MEMBER AND A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED SUPPORT MEMBERS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE MEMBER AND PROVIDED WITH BEARINGS AT THE TOPS THEREOF, A HORIZONTAL PIVOT SHAFT SUPPORTED BY SAID BEARINGS AND CARRYING A PAIR OF PARALLEL ARMS EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY OF SAID SHAFT ADJACENT ITS ENDS, EACH OF SAID ARMS HAVING HORIZONTALLY POSITIONED BEARINGS REMOTE FROM THE AXIS OF SUPPORT THEREOF, A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL SHAFTS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID HORIZONTALLY POSITIONED BEARINGS, A PAIR OF CYLINDRICAL MIXING DRUMS ROTATABLY CARRIED ON SAID HORIZONTALLY POSITIONED BEARINGS, BETWEEN SAID ARMS AND HAVING OPENINGS IN A PORTION OF THEIR PERIPHERIES FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING THE DRUM, MIXING BLADES MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFTS WITHIN SAID DRUMS, DRIVING MEANS FOR CONTINUALLY ROTATING THE MIXING BLADES DURING THE OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS, POWERED MEANS FOR SWINGING SAID ARMS FROM A POSITION WHEREIN ONE OF THE DRUMS IS AT A LEVEL BELOW THE OTHER TO A POSITION WHEREIN THE DRUM IS AT A LEVEL ABOVE THE OTHER, MEANS FOR KEEPING SAID OPENINGS AT THE TOP OF SAID DRUMS WHILE THE DRUMS ARE BEING SWUNG FROM A HIGH TO A LOW POSITION, AND MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY ROTATING SAID DRUMS ABOUT THEIR CENTRAL AXES SELECTIVELY TO SHIFT THE DRUM OPENINGS FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION AND VICE VERSA. 